The Cortez Fire Protection District and Montezuma County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with Piñon Project, bring Christmas joy to children from low-income families.
The fire department’s Chief of Administration Matt Shethar said he began participating in the annual gift event three years ago, but the department has participated for years.
Toys are provided to the children in a collaboration with Piñon Project’s Christmas for Kids initiative, which provides the department with a list of families and children in need of Christmas gifts, including their wish lists.
“They give us a list of families and we usually get four to six families, depending on how many kids,” Shethar said.
Last year, the department handed out Christmas gifts to 12 children, and this year, will do it for nine. Christmas gifts aren’t the only surprises for the children and their families.
“We not only do presents for the kids, but we buy them a Christmas dinner and give their parents a little gift as well,” Shethar said.
Once the department is assigned their families from Piñon Project, the department goes shopping.
“This year, most of us met up in Farmington, and we went to Target and shopped, went to Walmart locally and then we have a wrapping party once we get all the stuff together,” Shethar said. “We tend to wrap presents with the help of the working shift.”
Not only do the firefighters do the shopping and wrapping, but they also raise the money to purchase the gifts as well. Shethar said individual firefighters in the department voluntarily have part of their paycheck deducted each month to contribute.
“That gives us the budget to do this,” he said.
In past years, firefighters delivered gifts to the children’s homes in their firetrucks, but after giving checks instead of gifts for a year during the coronavirus pandemic, the fire department invites the participating families come to the station where firefighters have created an experience for them to enjoy.
“We get Santa Claus and set up a little North Pole in the engine bay, and then have the families come and see Santa and get their presents,” Shethar said. “We might do the delivery thing again, but it is definitely fun having them come to us.”
While he said some children seem a little nervous to be in the fire department with Santa and all the firefighters, the majority of the kids are excited to see Santa and receive their gifts.
Shethar shouted out his fellow firefighters and the Piñon Project for being committed to serving the children and people in the community, especially during the holidays.
“We work in community service and we want to be part of our community,” Shethar said. “A lot of times, we do interact with some of the lower income and see how much need there is. A lot of us are parents, and we know how important it is to be able to celebrate the holiday and have a Christmas and something from Santa. Not every child gets that, but every child deserves that.”
The fire department will be giving out their gifts to the children Friday, Dec. 23, at the fire station in a private event for firefighters, their families and the families receiving gifts this year.
The sheriff’s department will also give gifts to children and deliver them directly to their homes on Christmas Eve. Sheriff Nowlin said the number of children depends on the year, but it is normally five or six.
He said the children are “elated” when they come to the door to see officers with gifts, and it is and important event for the department.
“We’re part of the community and the community is part of us,” Nowlin said.
